Ciera Holzenthal, Author at Ciera Design Studio

Design Portfolio: Sweet Tea Logo and Branding

January 6, 2014 by Ciera Holzenthal

You may remember this mood board from a few months ago. Well I recently wrapped up the branding for Sweet Tea & Co., a whimsical and unique tea party experience for little girls. The client didn’t want the bright pink and glittery look that a lot of her competitors seemed to have. She wanted it to be simple, elegant and sophisticated. The client is thrilled and I’m really excited with how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think or let me know if you need some branding help of your own!

Sweet Tea began as a summertime ritual to entertain my own daughters. They delighted in dressing up in my vintage dresses and sipping tea under our weeping willows as I told stories of days gone by. —Shirilana Hanson, Owner

Sweet Tea Business Card Front and Back

Sweet Tea Tri Fold Brochure Design

Let’s Do This

January 3, 2014 by Ciera Holzenthal

I’m back from my blog break and I want to start the new year with total honestly. A few months ago I realized that I was in a rut. I was feeling like I didn’t get enough accomplished during the year. I had too many ideas and didn’t know what direction I wanted to go in or where I should put my time and energy. I have always felt confident in my design work but I was feeling a little lost managing everything.

I didn’t feel like I was reaching my ideal clients and I was getting worried that my site wasn’t portraying my services the best way possible. I was posting quality content to my blog but it somehow felt random and focused on the short-term. I decided that I needed help, I didn’t want to feel lost in my own business anymore.

That is where Ashley of Your Super Awesome Life came in! I told Ashley my concerns and she had me fill out a business assessment. Once I answered some questions on paper, we had a Skype session where we talked through what was working and what was not and what I really wanted for my blog and business.

I was actually a little surprised at how well she communicated and understood what I was going after even though she isn’t an insider to my business or blog. I felt totally comfortable talking to her and suddenly everything that was spinning in my head made sense again.

At the end of our first session Ashley helped me to come up with an action plan that covered the main points we discussed and mapped out all of the steps to begin making my goals a reality. We wanted to get really clear on what I wanted my business to look like moving forward. All of my goals suddenly seemed so attainable.

After our first session, I updated my services page, I still have some work to do here, but I think it’s a much more clear representation of the design services I offer. I’m currently taking on clients so feel free to reach out!
I created an end of the year reader survey to find out what y’all want to see more of here on the blog in 2014! If you haven’t taken it yet, the survey is still open. Until I take some time to review all of the responses, I’m going to take it slow and post content here very intentionally.
I’m also starting to reach out to blogs to guest post on, so let me now if you are looking for some guest contributors in 2014!

A few weeks later we had a follow-up call to make sure I was on track. I still have a lot of work to do to accomplish the actions we came up with but I feel like I’m back on the right path! It wasn’t easy for me to reach out for help but this year I really want to take my business to the next level and after Ashley’s sessions I’m ready and confident to take on 2014, so let’s do this!

2014 Let’s Do This art print available for sale on Etsy.

Happy Birthday To Me & Year In Review

December 31, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Today is my birthday y’all! I’m still on a blog break but just wanted to stop in for my normal end of the month recap.

Ciera Sitting On Oak Tree With Balloons

I decided that I should recap the whole year instead of just December, so without further ado here are some of the most popular posts from the year! It was really fun to look back at all of these posts!

Ciera-Design-Year-In-Review

Ciera Design Elsewhere in December:

– Merry and Bright Freebie featured on Glitter and Bow
– Sprucing Up Your Branding featured on 8 posts for smart-working, creative-types
– Geometric Felt Coasters on Brit + Co
– The Best Memories Are Handmade freebie on Whimseybox

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared my content this year! I also want to give a special thank you to Mariah and Melissa for being amazing contributors this year!

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

One more note, I have simplified my sidebar ad options for 2014! One size at one very affordable price!

DIY New Year’s Eve

December 28, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

I know I’m supposed to be on a blogging break, but sometimes I just can’t help myself! Have you guys heard of Darby Smart? Well if not, you should know about them! They make awesome DIY kits and send them right to your house! I just received my first two kits and can’t wait to make them! I got the Chic Striped Vase Kit and the Having a Ball Cocktail Decor Kit which are both shown below along with a bunch of other DIY project that would be perfect for New Year’s Eve or any other party! They also have tons of jewelry and home decor projects, so go check out all of the awesome kits!

Make Your Own Marquee Sign DIY for New Years Eve

Having A Ball Drink Stirrers DIY

Gold White Black Tassel Chic Vase DIY

Gilded Lucite Acrylic Tray With Script Cheers

Gold Gilded Candle Votives

Chain Rhinestone Bracelet DIY

Bubbly Champagne Flute Toasters DIY

Bar Cart and Cocktail DIY

All projects show are available as DIY kits from Darby Smart!

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Wishing You Joy From Ciera Design

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

The survey will be open for a few weeks and I’ll be taking a little blog break for the holidays and while I review the results, so I’ll see y’all back here in 2014! This survey is anonymous unless you include contact information for a direct response.

Ciera Design Reader Survey

December 23, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Ciera-Design-Reader-Survey-2013

It’s that time of year when I really start to think about the future. How do I want to push my business forward? Where do I want to take this blog? I’m constantly looking for ways to make this blog and my business better. While I’m working on these plans, I’d really like to get y’all involved! To make that happen, I’m asking you to take a short survey (only 10 questions) so that I can get to know you better.

Here is your chance to have me hear you out! This survey will give me some valuable insight to help improve the blog and my service options! I want to know what you love, don’t love, what you want to see more or less of. I want to hear your honest opinion so please do me this huge favor and fill out this survey! And if I haven’t said it enough, thank you for being awesome!

The survey will be open for a few weeks and I’ll be taking a little blog break for the holidays and while I review the results, so I’ll see y’all back here in 2014!

CLICK HERE to take the survey!

This survey is anonymous unless you include contact information for a direct response.

Dreaming of 2014 Vacations

December 22, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

I’ve only been to California twice in my life but have always wanted to live there. I’m a warm weather gal and love beaches so I feel like it’d be perfect for me. The first time I went to California was during college. A friend moved to Santa Barbara so I went to visit her and it was amazing. It’s a great college beach town and she lived right on the water with 6 other girls! The second time was earlier this year when I went to Palm Springs with my two best friends. Actually, it was the same two friends I went to Santa Barbara with! Palm Springs is awesome, almost like a fairy tale world.

There are so many spots I want to visit in California because lets face it, I probably won’t be moving there anytime soon. Next on my list in San Diego and San Francisco. I’ve always wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo and thanks to this awesome infographic by Marriott I just discovered that you can watch an annual migration of the gray whale right from San Diego! How cool would it be to go explore San Diego and all that the city has to offer and then jump on a boat in the Pacific Ocean to whale watch!

San Diego Whale Watching in America’s Finest City – An infographic by the team at Marriott San Diego Hotels. Marriott International is a leading hospitality company with over 3,800 properties in over 74 countries and territories around the world.

Thank you Marriott for sponsoring this post. For more vacation ideas visit Marriott on Google Plus. I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, however all content and opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting this blog by allowing me to post occasional sponsored content. All sponsored posts feature products or services that I truly feel would be of interest to you.

Meet Rekita of Her & Nicole

December 20, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Hey guys, I want to introduce y’all the lovely Rekita of Her & Nicole today! Rekita is graphic designer and has an awesome lifestyle blog! Learn more about Retika in our interview below and then go say hi on her Blog, Facebook and Twitter!

Rekita link love

Sum yourself up into one sentence I am a mother of 3 (2 boys and a new girl), an Army wife, a stay-at-home mom, and a self-taught graphic and web designer.

Where were you born and where do you call home? I was born in Atlanta, Ga and home is at Fort Hood, Texas

What do you currently do for a living? Is it what you’ve always dreamed of doing? If not, what would you like to be doing? Right now I am a stay-at-home mom, but I dream of have a s successful graphic design business. It is my passion, I get so excited when I learn something new, and I wake up wanting to try out new ideas.

How and when did you start designing? I started when i was a freshman in college (about 10 years ago) when designing my own blog.

Do you design as your “day job”? I really consider taking care of my kids a day job. It is when they are napping or sleeping at night when I get to have fun designing.

What gets you excited? Designing someone’s blog or website.

What’s your setup like? Do you have an office, work from home? Do you work alone or with a team? I work from home, although I wish I had an office at home. (One day i will)

Where do you go to find inspiration, and what are you inspired by? I am inspired by other designers, so I go to their sites to se what they have done, and say to myself, “I can do that or will try that!”

If you could accomplish one BIG thing in your lifetime, what would it be? It would be to raise my kids to be respectful, loving and successful adults. That would be my greatest accomplishment before becoming a successful freelance web designer.

Sleep in or get up early? With 3 kid under the age of five, I can never sleep in.

Coffee or tea? Sweet Tea

Pet peeves? People who are so judgmental.

Favorite color? Purple

Favorite food? Lasagna with a side salad

See currently loving sources here.

The Font Feast Presents Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

December 18, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

homemade hot cocoa mix with candy cane

I’ve never been particularly high-brow about my hot chocolate. Give me a box of Swiss Miss and a pot of boiling water and I’m good to go. I could drink cheap cocoa all winter long and be perfectly content. My husband, on the other hand, is a bit of a hot chocolate snob. When we were first married, he bought himself a little cookbook full of really legit, high-class hot chocolate recipes from all over the world; he loves to make “real hot chocolate” and turns his nose up at most hot cocoas. So it came as a shock to me when I made him cocoa the other night using a favorite recipe from my childhood and he said, “I love this hot chocolate!” My Nana used to make us this cocoa mix when I was little, and we’d keep it in an absolutely massive jar with a Santa face painted on the side. It makes me happy that this bit of my childhood has passed the cocoa test in our house with flying colors and gotten two enthusiastic thumbs up from everyone, even the cocoa snob!

I paired this Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix with a fun, retro font, Remachine Script. It reminds me of a Christmas party from the swinging’ 60’s, complete with ugly sweaters, turtlenecks, and cocoa!

homemade hot cocoa mix with candy cane

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix inspired by Remachine Script

32 oz Nesquik
1 lb powdered sugar
16 oz powdered coffee creamer
25 oz powdered milk
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa

Combine all ingredients in a really enormous bowl (or the largest soup pot you have) and stir until well combined. Store in an airtight container. To make hot cocoa, combine 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix with 1 cup boiling water. Stir, and top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, or crushed candy canes!

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

Sprucing Up Your Branding

December 11, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

With the year coming to a close, you may want a fresh start for the new year, one with new ideas, new goals and new looks – including a spruced up look for your brand. An updated look for your business can give you the new beginning you are looking for, but rebranding (even when you don’t have a huge following) can be a lot of work.

Before you invest on a new logo, website, web copy, professional photos and business cards and set up meetings with designers and copywriters and photographers, take a moment to ask yourself these few questions and write your answers on this worksheet I created for you.

1. Why do I want to rebrand?

A fun new logo is always exciting, but ask yourself why you want to rebrand. Are you adding new offerings? Are you trying to reach a different target market that your brand doesn’t appeal to right now? Or do you just need a freshened up look?

Knowing why you want to rebrand is one of the most important things about the rebranding process. Knowing the goals you have set up for your new look will help your designers and developers with their job, and you’ll have a better idea of what you’re looking for in your redesign.

2. Is my customer changing?

If you’re doing a rebrand because your customer is changing, you’ll want to do a profile on who your new customer is going to be. Get to know everything you can about your new customer so you can direct your rebranding efforts specifically to them.

For example, if you’re a photographer who has mainly worked with babies and seniors in the past and you want to rebrand to target brides specifically, you’ll want to find out everything you can about your new ideal customer – what types of photos she likes best, what blogs she reads, where she finds most of her wedding inspiration. When you know all of the specific details about your ideal customer, you’ll know exactly how to talk to her, how to form packages around her wants and where to market your rebranded business.

3. What do I want my new look to say about my brand?

Having a clear idea of what you want your look to say about your brand will always help your designer when you’re getting the branding process started. Having a few examples of brands you admire can help your designer and developers envision the direction you want your look to go.

One way to paint a clearer image of what you want your brand to portray is to start a Pinterest board full of brand inspiration. Include pins of colors, patterns and styles that inspire you in your brand, along with images of your ideal customer. This will give you a reference point for all of the design and branding decisions you make in the rebrand process and also comes in handy when making branding decisions down the road.

Asking these questions about your new brand image are important in creating a brand that lasts – the more you know about where you want to go in the future will help you with your rebrand right now. And if you’re all ready to start the rebranding process, make sure you check out Ciera’s great packages – check them out here.

About the author: Mariah is a Graphic Designer/Wedding Stylist who has a passion for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit.

Thanksgiving Recap

December 9, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

For Thanksgiving Zander and I went up to Maine to his grandmother’s house. It was as beautiful as it always is! We had two friends come up from New York and we had a great time building fires to keep warm and eating way too much food! Zander’s grandmother got this new John Deer so everyone had some fun riding all over her property! Don’t worry, I had a turn too!

Maine House

The day after Thanksgiving the boys built a fire pit but we were all too wimpy to stay out in the cold for too long, haha!

Maine Fire Pit

They have an amazing fish house down by the water that we hung out in one night drinking mulled wine and hot cider, it was SO cold, the fire was barely warming the place up!

And as if Thanksgiving didn’t get us fat enough we decided to have a huge New England style feast a few days later! Homemade chowder, lobster rolls and salad, SO good!

Since we were flying out of Boston we decide to leave Maine early that morning to have a few hours in the city. We went to our favorite pizza spot and then watched the Patriots game before heading to the airport.

Boston

Full width photos by Zander, all others by me.

My Favorite Gift Ideas for the Home Office Employee

December 6, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

I know a lot of people who have recently made the switch from a full time office job, to working from home or from their own studio. Here are some great items that I love having in my home office and wouldn’t think twice about getting them for a fellow ‘home office employee’ as a gift!

Home Office Employee Gift Guide

1 iPhone Handset Talking on your cell phone gets old fast so a handset is very useful especially when I am trying to multitask.

2 Lap Desk Since I don’t always work from my desk having a lap desk is great, my laptop gets ridiculously hot.

3 Bronzing Lotion Working from home sometimes I don’t get enough sun. This lotion is amazing for a quick, natural glow.

4 Stickygrams I love using my Instagram photos to liven up my home office.

5 Neu Year Wall Calendar In order to keep organized, I need to see the upcoming weeks at a glance. I discovered this huge wall calendar last year and already got my 2014 one ready to hang!

6 Flannel Slippers Let’s face it, most days I work in my pajamas and slippers!

7 Office Chair Everyone can use a nice comfy office chair.

8 Beverage Warmer This is seriously my favorite thing in my office, nice warm coffee or tea all day long!

9 Monogram Mug It’s nice to add a little personal touch to my desk

The Best Memories Are Handmade

December 4, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Can you believe that it is December already?! I seriously can’t! The holiday season can be stressful when you start to think about all of the shopping that needs to be done but remember that it really is the thought that counts! The holidays are what you make of them and some of the best memories and gifts are handmade! Hope you enjoy December’s design for your devices!

The Best Memories Are Handmade by Ciera Design

desktop / iphone

5 Tips For Getting Your Holiday Cards Ready

December 2, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Hello! I’m Sylvia the designer from {via}vacious Designs. I’m so happy to be guest posting today and sharing my passion for stationery with you! It’s that time of the year when your mailbox is overflowing with beautiful, colorful holiday cards. I want to share some of my top tips for getting your own holiday cards ready to be sent to your loved ones.

5 Tips For Getting Your Holiday Cards Ready

1. Order and send your holiday cards early

By getting them done early, you can focus on the other fun holiday festivities you have planned. Did you move recently? Sending your cards early also helps those on your holiday card list recognize you have a new home address.

2. Proof for grammatical errors

We all have oversights during this busy season, even stationery designers, so be sure to thoroughly look at your proof to ensure everything is correct. One of the most common typographical errors I see during the holidays happens while signing cards. When signing your holiday card, there is no need to put an apostrophe in your name. So for example, when signing our card this year we’ll use The Stremmings not The Stremming’s. The apostrophe shows ownership, which is not the case when signing your card (correct example: Santa’s cookies).

3. Be candid

If you want a photo card, but didn’t have time to get any family photos taken this year, don’t worry! Your photo(s) doesn’t have to be professionally taken. The candid photos from throughout the year are many times the best and show personality.

4. Use your time wisely

If you write a personal message, have a goal to do a certain amount a night. Tackling your holiday cards this way will keep you from being too overwhelmed with your long list of friends and family members. You will also be able to get the rest of your holiday chores done, too!

5. Be efficient

Holiday cards don’t have to be expensive! There are many discounts available during the holiday season as well as shops where you can buy the digital file and print as many as you need. If money is tight for gifts, opt for a photo card—a picture says a thousand words.

I hope these tips help make your holidays a little less stressful so you can focus more on being with your family! To put these tips to use, I’m offering 20% off to Ciera Design blog readers with the coupon code CIERADESIGN20 good through Dec. 31, 2013. Happy Holidays! Find {via}vacious Designs on Etsy and on Facebook.

DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA TIPS? SHARE THEM IN THE COMMENTS!

November In Review

November 30, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Just stopping by to share some popular posts from the month in case you missed anything! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Popular-Posts-in-November

Ciera Design Elsewhere in November

– Meet the Blogger (me) over on Reverb’s blog!
– Stickygram is using a bunch of my photographs for their promo images, recognize any?
– Paint dipped pumpkins featured on Oh Happy Day and Sugar Lander
– May Your Holidays Be Merry & Bright Wallpaper on Brit + Co.

Thanks to everyone who shares my content, I really appreciate it!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales

November 29, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

May Your Holidays Be Merry and Bright Greeting Card

Just popping in to share some really great Black Friday sales with y’all! P.S. Grab this Merry & Bright card from my Etsy or Society 6 shop!

ASOS Save 30% off site wide Dec 2 – Dec 4 with code GIMMEMORE

Bon Look Save up to 50% off on select eyewear. Also enjoy free shipping. Nov 29 & Dec 2 only

Ciera Design 15% off with code STAYLOCAL15

Craftsy Class Sale up to 66% off from 11/29-12/2! With classes priced up to 66% off, now is a great time to get the classes you’ve been eyeing all year! Craftsy classes also make a great gift, so do some holiday shopping for the crafter in your life. No code needed.

French Connection Save 30% off your total purchase + free ground shipping on orders over $150 Nov 27 – Dec 2 with code W13COUPON

GAP – 40% off everything with code CYBER

Golden Tote everyone that orders a tote on Cyber Monday will receive an extra accessory or jewelry surprise item!

J.Crew – 30% off everything with code MONDAY

J.Crew Factory – 50% off everything with code GOSHOP

Kate Spade – 30% off entire site with code CYBER30

LOFT Save 50% off EVERYTHING Dec 1 – Dec 2 with code CYBER50

Madewell – 25% off your entire purchase with code FEAST25

ModCloth Save 20% off site wide. Dec 2

Moo 25% off all printed products & accessories

Moorea Seal free shipping on every order in the store. And if you find a few items that you just have to have, orders over $150 will receive free 3 day shipping!

Nordstrom Save 25%+ off on select brands Nov 27 (10AM PST) – Dec 1 (10PM PST)

Poppin Save 30% off all orders over $75 Dec 2 with code POPCM

Skillshare $10 off your first class + use code CYBER20 for $20 off purchases over $50 or CYBER10 for $10 off purchases over $25. Mary Kate McDevitt is offering 30% off her class “The Final Steps of Hand-Lettering: Adding Color, Texture, and Finishing Touches” with discount code THANKS.

Sole Society Save 33% off all jewelry, handbags and shoes (with new offers being presented everyday at 10am) Nov 25 – Dec 2

Stickygram Get 25% off the entire StickyGram collection (magnets, phone cases and iPad covers) through December 2nd

Target BOGO 60% off on apparel, shoes, and accessories Dec 2

Tiny Prints Black Friday Sitewide Sale – 30% Off Everything. Use code BF13.

TOMS Save $10 off any $50 purchase + free shipping Nov 28 – Dec 2

Totally Rad Photography Editing Tools. 35% off everything with code BLACKFRIDAY2013

Urban Outfitters Save $15 off $75, $25 off $100 and $50 off $150 and enjoy free shipping Dec 2

WP Engine 4 Months of Free WordPress Hosting on pre-paid annual plans!

If promo codes are not listed here, just follow the links for the discount. Some affiliate links are used.

My Favorite Gift Ideas for the Art Lover

November 25, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Better Homes and Gardens published their holiday gift guides last week, and guess what? I got to curate one! There are over 25 different guides curated by other bloggers and BHG editors, I was asked to curate one for Artists and Art Collectors! If you are buying for someone who creates art, supplies like charcoal, sketchbooks, and paints are always a great gift. If you are looking for someone who is more of a collector, art books, prints, decorative home items, or art-inspired clothing are great options. Here are some of my favorite items from the curated guide and you can head over to BHG.com to see all of my picks! I’ll be taking a blog break for the rest of the week since I’m heading to Maine tomorrow for Thanksgiving! Hope you all have a great week!

art lover gift round up

Riveting Reflections Dress / There Had Never Been Another Poster Print / Acrylic Paint Set / DIY Pinhole Cameras / Blueprint Paperweight / Coffee / Pigma Micron Graphic Pens / Wreck this journal / Slim Kira Vase • See all of my gift guides here!

Design Portfolio: Sweet Tea Logo and Branding

Let’s Do This

Happy Birthday To Me & Year In Review

Popular Posts in 2013:

Ciera Design Elsewhere in December:

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

DIY New Year’s Eve

Happy Holidays!

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

Ciera Design Reader Survey

CLICK HERE to take the survey!

Dreaming of 2014 Vacations

The Font Feast Presents Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix inspired by Remachine Script

Sprucing Up Your Branding

1. Why do I want to rebrand?

2. Is my customer changing?

3. What do I want my new look to say about my brand?

Thanksgiving Recap

My Favorite Gift Ideas for the Home Office Employee

The Best Memories Are Handmade

November In Review

Popular Posts in November

Ciera Design Elsewhere in November

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales

My Favorite Gift Ideas for the Art Lover

Get a free worksheet to help you define what your brand personality traits are >> Yes, Please!

Popular Posts in 2013:

Ciera Design Elsewhere in December:

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

If you haven’t yet, please fill out my 2013 reader survey!

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix inspired by Remachine Script

GIVEAWAY TIME!

1. Why do I want to rebrand?

2. Is my customer changing?

3. What do I want my new look to say about my brand?

1. Order and send your holiday cards early

2. Proof for grammatical errors

3. Be candid

4. Use your time wisely

5. Be efficient

DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA TIPS? SHARE THEM IN THE COMMENTS!

Popular Posts in November

Ciera Design Elsewhere in November

Get a free worksheet to help you define what your brand personality traits are >> Yes, Please!